Not Applicable
This invention relates to piston pumps and compressors, and more particularly to an air cooled, piston compressor.
In a typical air cooled, piston compressor, a housing encloses a piston reciprocating in a cylinder sleeve to compress air. Air is compressed by the piston which draws air into the cylinder sleeve in a downstroke, and forces the air out of the cylinder sleeve in an upstroke. The air passes through a valve assembly mounted to the cylinder sleeve top which directs the flow of air through the cylinder. A fan draws cooling air into the housing to cool the piston and cylinder sleeve.
The piston reciprocates in the cylinder sleeve with a seal material mounted thereon which establishes a sliding seal with the interior of the cylinder sleeve. The seal can pick up contaminants which collect on the cylinder sleeve interior surface. These contaminants can work their way up the inside of the cylinder sleeve and into the compression chamber, damaging the cylinder sleeve, piston seal material, and fouling the compressed air.
The fan draws contaminants into the housing with the cooling air. These contaminants are propelled by the fan, and can impinge directly onto the reciprocating piston and lower portion of the cylinder sleeve, thus increasing the potential for damage to the compressor. Therefore a need exists to protect the piston and cylinder sleeve from contaminants propelled into the housing by the fan.
The present invention provides a compressor assembly which includes a housing having an air inlet. A cylinder sleeve having an end open into the housing receives a piston disposed in the housing. The piston extends into the cylinder sleeve open end for reciprocal movement in the sleeve. A fan fixed relative to the housing causes air to flow through the inlet toward the piston. A deflector is interposed between the piston and the inlet, wherein the deflector prevents air flowing through the inlet from impinging directly onto the piston.
A general objective of the present invention is to prevent contaminants from impinging directly on the reciprocating piston or inside the cylinder. This objective is accomplished by positioning a deflector between the cooling air inlet and piston/cylinder to shield the piston and cylinder sleeve from contaminants propelled by the fan.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention.